Triple Formula One world champion Sir Jack Brabham has passed away aged 88. It was only yesterday that Sir Jack had been reunited with one of his former Brabham Formula 2 cars, but the Australian had been in ill health for some time. On behalf of his family, David Brabham, who was recently involved in the tributes to Roland Ratzenberger having been his team-mate in F1 at the time of his fatal accident in 1994, released the following statement:
“It’s a very sad day for all of us. My father passed away peacefully at home at the age of 88 this morning. He lived an incredible life, achieving more than anyone would ever dream of and he will continue to live on through the astounding legacy he leaves behind.”
Sir Jack will always be considered a legend of Formula One, having taken many records during his Formula One career from 1955 to 1970. Among the most notable of his achievements is that he is the only man to have won the F1 world championship in one of his own cars. He was the first Australian to win the Formula One world championship and did so in 1959, 1960 and 1966. He was also the first racing driver to be knighted for his contributions to Motorsport.
Sir Jack’s sons David, Gary and Geoff all followed him into Motorsport, with each finding success. David and Geoff became winners in the sports-car racing scene, with both winning the 24 hours of Le Mans.
Sir Jack Brabham is survived by his wife Lady Margaret, his three sons and his extensive family after that.
RIP Jack Brabham (1926-2014.)
By Jordan Groves Formula 1 correspondent for RTR Sports Marketing Follow Jordan on twitter at www.twitter.com/jgroves1996
